[Sopsneork]

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
2012 March 5

Flying Over the Earth at Night



Video Credit: Gateway to Astronaut Photography, NASA ; Compilation: Bitmeizer (YouTube);
Music: Freedom Fighters (Two Steps from Hell) Explanation: Many wonders are visible when flying over the Earth at night. A compilation of such visual spectacles was captured recently from the International Space Station (ISS) and set to rousing music. Passing below are white clouds, orange city lights, lightning flashes in thunderstorms, and dark blue seas. On the horizon is the golden haze of Earth's thin atmosphere, frequently decorated by dancing auroras as the video progresses. The green parts of auroras typically remain below the space station, but the station flies right through the red and purple auroral peaks. Solar panels of the ISS are seen around the frame edges. The ominous wave of approaching brightness at the end of each sequence is just the dawn of the sunlit half of Earth, a dawn that occurs every 90 minutes.

Quiz: Can you identify any of the landscapes?

[cefunonge]

Some interesting "countries at night" photos.

First off, we have lovely Haiti. Haiti is the left 1/3 of the island on the left, the right (lit) 2/3 being the Dominican Republic. The well-lit island on the right is Puert Rico, beloved homeland of our very own Ponce:



Next up, we have the "Vibrant Society" that forum statists love to wax on poetically about while watching military parades... the beautiful (and dark) North Korea, in the top-left portion of the photo just below the lighted arc of China and above the glowing South Korea:



Finally, we have our wonderful free homeland, the good ol' lemonade stand busting U.S.S.A, with its beautifully darker (and better armed) western half, which I'm proud to call home:

[Biashpainabix]

Some interesting "countries at night" photos...

...Next up, we have the "Vibrant Society" that forum statists love to wax on poetically about while watching military parades... the beautiful (and dark) North Korea, in the top-left portion of the photo just below the lighted arc of China and above the glowing South Korea:

Only one light on in North Korea

[77chawzence]

Only one light on in North Korea

Any bets it's the living room window of the "dear leader's" house?

It sure as hell ain't "Motel 6" keepin' the light on!

[Loxaeed]

Why is there a glow in the water off Korea ?

[TNOULbr2]

Thoughts on the video . . . the cities look like they are on fire, lightning looks like a video game, and the auroras look like a force field. The music was magnificently appropriate.

Thanks for sharing, Cebu_4_2!

[Wrencytet]

http://geology.com/articles/satellit...at-night.shtml
Nice site.
Let's take a gander at Africa.
Home to a billion plus people.

[casinobonuscxz]

Why is there a glow in the water off Korea ?

Fire flies.

[BUMbaronos]

Not as "beautifully" dark in this pic.

[Opinion_counts]

....
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap120731.html

Curiosity Before Mars: Seven Minutes of Terror

[Paybeskf]

Finally, we have our wonderful free homeland, the good ol' lemonade stand busting U.S.S.A, with its beautifully darker (and better armed) western half, which I'm proud to call home:

This picture is awesome. I can make out Denver, Colorado Springs, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Reno, Sacramento...pretty amazing photo.

[zatronanec]

http://gold-silver.us/forum/showthre...l=1#post568565


We got some of that action going on in this thread

[Queueftof]

http://geology.com/articles/satellit...at-night.shtml
Nice site.
Let's take a gander at Africa.
Home to a billion plus people.

Gander at those 2 little islands off of Madagascar...

Those are strobes I had no idea existed..

[Inonanialry]

Gander at those 2 little islands off of Madagascar...

Those are strobes I had no idea existed..

Also, look at that big bright squiggly line in Egypt. Looks like the Nile is lit up nice and bright, strange.

[t78VPkdO]

Also, look at that big bright squiggly line in Egypt. Looks like the Nile is lit up nice and bright, strange.

That's where the action is.

[LypeReexy]

I can see an eyeball on England. (or a little rat with his cheese smiling at me)

In the secret underground lair.